If we take a look at multiple recent events I think there is real cause for concern.

Recently we have had military operations inside our citites and landings on our beaches. Legislation has been passed that allows for long term detention without warrant of citizens. We see an increase use of military equipment being used to surveil not enemies of the state but its citizens and apparently again without warrant or cause.

If we take a look at multiple recent events I think there is real cause for concern.

Recently we have had military operations inside our citites and landings on our beaches. Legislation has been passed that allows for long term detention without warrant of citizens. We see an increase use of military equipment being used to surveil not enemies of the state but its citizens and apparently again without warrant or cause.

Anyone feeling like the deer caught in the headlights?

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Yes. Go on over and watch that Bruce Fein/Ralph Nader video I posted in the Civil Rights forum. They really kick (expletive deleted).

Times and Democrat[/B]]A remote-controlled aircraft owned by an animal rights group was reportedly shot down near Broxton Bridge Plantation Sunday. Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopter drone to video what he called a live pigeon shoot ...

He said the animal rights group decided to send the drone up anyway. Seconds after it hit the air, numerous shots rang out," Hindi said in the release. "As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter."

So, when Grampa wanders away from the retirement home, they suit up in body armor? Do they battle brush fires with full-auto AR-15s?

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That concept is interesting. As a teen I lived with the family that ran one of the larger Search & Rescues in northern Idaho. It can be very difficult to get poeple out into that terrain. They almost always found the person but occasionally didn't. One time they didn't involved someone who had died in his car along an old road.

$300K? Easy -- think of GPS guided grid searches, video relayed to & saved at a ground station where it could be reviewed later to see if anything was over looked, infrared sensors.

Drones can fly lower & slower more safely and look directly downward. The electronic optics that are available today are incredible.

Yes, I see this an excellent application for drones.

And when they're not looking for missing hunters & grannies, it will probably be surveying for marijuana patches.

In 90 short days and counting down, it will be smile for the camera flying overhead, American citizens. Perhaps you should buy a baseball cap now to help in hiding your features from eye in the sky drones before buying a hat also becomes another ridiculous "suspicious" potential terrorist activity for SAR databases? Is that taking it too far when drones are capable of almost constant surveillance? The ACLU warned surveillance drones are coming to a police department near you. When the EFF, ALCU and EPIC all sound a red alert warning about Big Brother's prying eyes, if you care about your privacy then it would be wise to heed it.

... Perhaps you should buy a baseball cap now to help in hiding your features from eye in the sky drones before buying a hat also becomes another ridiculous "suspicious" potential terrorist activity for SAR databases?

. . . which the EFF said hopefully the "courts will find the ability of drones to monitor our activities constantly, both in public and-through the use of heat sensors or other technology-inside our homes, goes too far."

There's a link near the bottom of the article I posted today where you can sign EPIC's petition. Please consider signing it.

One small piece of positive news.... We still have the Kyllo case that says law enforcement needs a warrant if they want to 'see through the walls' of our houses. The flip side is that Scalia commented (in dicta) that once a particular technology becomes available to the public and its use becomes common, we might lose that privacy protection.

Once we can start getting all of our drones up in the air and be able to 'watch the watchers', will we lose protection against intrusive uses of the drones?